I feel so guilty for loving African Queen. But I love it because it's beautiful. But I won't say I approve of the blackface. I think that's tacky especially for an editorial that involves black culture. They should've had a black model doing it. Kiara Kabukuru would be perfect for it. It's tacky.

My biggest complaint of the African Queen ed, is not that the girl that they chose is naturally white, 'cause there are also white native Africans all around the world; my problem with it is that if they are promoting African culture, why not hiring an African model? there are plenty of them to choose from, regardless of their skin color, all of them are good enough to represent their culture: Candice, Liya, Katryn, Behati, Ajak, Alek, Herieth, Ataui, etc... To hire a girl from another culture and hide her natural skin color to try to emulate another girl's race, a girl who didn't get opportunity to represent her own culture (or maybe was not even in the options!) just makes the whole thing doubly discriminatory.

Some people have declared that they have been offended by the publication in Numéro magazine n°141 of March 2013, of an editorial realized by the photographer Sebastian Kim called “African Queen”, featuring the American model Ondria Hardin posing as an “African queen”, her skin painted in black.

The artistic statement of the photographer Sebastian Kim, author of this editorial, is in line with his previous photographic creations, which insist on the melting pot and the mix of cultures, the exact opposite of any skin color based discrimination. Numéro has always supported the artistic freedom of the talented photographers who work with the magazine to illustrate its pages, and has not took part in the creation process of this editorial.

For its part, Numéro Magazine, which has the utmost respect for this photographer’s creative work, firmly excludes that the latest may have had, at any moment, the intention to hurt readers’ sensitivity, whatever their origin.

Numéro Magazine considers that it has regularly demonstrated its deep attachment to the promotion of different skin-colored models. For instance, the next issue of Numéro for Man on sale on 15th march has the black model Fernando Cabral on the cover page, and the current Russian edition’s cover of our magazine features the black model Naomi Campbell on its cover. This demonstrates the completely inappropriate nature of the accusations made against our magazine, deeply committed to the respect for differences, tolerance and more generally to non-discrimination.

Considering the turmoil caused by this publication, the Management of Numéro Magazine would like to apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this editorial.

Sebastian Kim Responds To The Controversy Surrounding His Recent Story For Numéro

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I would like to apologize for any misunderstanding around my recent photos for Numero France. It was never my intention (nor Numero’s) to portray a black woman in this story. Our idea and concept for this fashion shoot was based on 60's characters of Talitha Getty, Verushka and Marissa Berenson with middle eastern and Moroccan fashion inspiration. We at no point attempted to portray an African women by painting her skin black. We wanted a tanned and golden skin to be showcased as part of the beauty aesthetic of this shoot.

It saddens me that people would interpret this as a mockery of race. I believe that the very unfortunate title “African Queen” (which I was not aware of prior to publication) did a lot to further people’s misconceptions about these images. It was certainly never my intention to mock or offend anyone and I wholeheartedly apologize to anyone who was offended.

Who was the idiot responsible for the incorrect title? It never really screamed "African Queen" to begin with, and with Sebastian explaining the reference I think people can calm down now, like why is blackface even such a big deal? I think it's a cool effect to put on models and I don't think it's done because they didn't want to cast actual black models for it.

Black face is a huge deal and hugely disrespectful. Not only did they not choose a black girl but they also had they audacity to promote blackface as if it was edgy. Someone would have to seriously be trolling in this day and age to not understand that. Both "apologies" are ridiculous and make me more angry. Luckily I won't have to boycott them because Numero has been stale for years now.

Both apologies are ridiculous with Numero's taking the cake. They're not apologizing for anything and basically 1) put the blame on the photographer and 2) on the audience whose reactions, according to them, were over the top and uncalled for. What a load of BS. They basically claim that they can do whatever they want and that it's our problem for mistaking the "concept".

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Originally Posted by LabelWhore4

Luckily I won't have to boycott them because Numero has been stale for years now.

Yeah then the Versace campaign should have used black models too? same goes to most of M & M's work then as well as Sebastian Kim, most of their models don't even look like their skin color. Honestly the references the photographer provided makes complete sense, how is this even personal? The model doesn't even look black, she just looks sun kissed to death, the photographer explained it was not his intention to title that editorial by that name, and if that wording didn't exist you wouldn't be saying jack squat.

Numero's 'apology' is just pathetic. it wasn't even an apology, they just foisted the blame onto the photographer. Great, way to absolve yourself of any responsibility, you are the magazine but have no say in it? BS. Gosh, who let them release such a pathetic statement.

As for Kim. What? I don't get what he's trying to say. She wasn't meant to be African but Moroccan. What does he think Moroccans are. Any which way you cut it, you've painted a white girl with dark makeup in order to changer her ethnicity. This isn't a tanned woman, any which way you try to word it.